More than 3 million students
are gearing up to head off to college in the fall. Nearly 2 million of
them, girls.
That’s right: females
outnumber males in college. They are overtaking males in the work force
as well. In fact, the number of women taking on leadership roles in our
society is on a rapid rise. Now more than ever is the perfect time for
young women to excel!
Lauren Salamone, author of 5 Must Know Secrets for Today's College Girl and college transition expert,
says there is important advice parents can offer their daughters right now
that will help them achieve success at college.
Here are some highlights:
1)
Don’t expect
Perfection – The first few weeks of
college are overwhelming. It helps if students are prepared for this
fact, so they’re not disappointed. Girls can be very hard on themselves,
especially during this vulnerable time. They can start to buy into negative
self-talk, which interferes with making the most of college. If you
explain this basic psychology to your daughter before she leaves for school,
you’ll help her have a much smoother transition.
2)
Be an Explorer – College professors and coaches report that female
students tend to deflect when complimented on their strengths. Encourage
her to think of herself as wearing a metaphorical explorer’s hat. As an
explorer she should take her time soaking in the new opportunities around her
AND take a good look within herself. It helps to guide your daughter
through the process of recognizing and believing that she possesses unique
strengths.
3)
Follow Your
Heart – By nature girls tend to be
pleasers. And as they grapple with the decisions they’ll need to make in
college, they can start to second-guess themselves. It helps tremendously
to make it clear to your daughter that you want her to figure out a path that’s
right for her. Let her know that you’ll help her to do that any
way you can, but that you don’t have a particular agenda for her. In
essence, you want to dissuade any concerns she has that she’ll be letting you
down as she begins to choose her own life’s path.
Please consider an interview
with Lauren Salamone as you cover students gearing up for college this summer,
especially from the perspective of female empowerment.
I never had any girls. This is great advice though. It is overwhelming at first when you start college. But things do smooth out which is another things that can be said. Thanks for the tips! Rita Spratlen rjspratlen@gmail.com
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